Transport carriage for a cleaning device



April 7, 1970 J. BAEK TRANSPORT CARRIAGE FOR A CLEANING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1968 INVENTOR JQRGE-N BR: K

United States Patent 3,504,392 TRANSPORT CARRIAGE FOR A CLEANING DEVICE Jorgen Back, Rodovre, Denmark, assignor to Det Danske Rengorings Selskab A/S, Charlottenlund, Denmark Filed June 5, 1968, Ser. No. 734,730 Claims priority, applicatgtar/lggnmark, Nov. 15, 1967,

Int. 01. A571 13/12, 13/59 US. Cl. 15-260 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a carriage for transporting a cleaning device comprising a handle portion and a head portion connected with said handle portion and having at least one sponge member secured to a lower face thereof. Such devices which may be called swabs or sponge mops are used for cleaning floors and other substantially plane surfaces. The use of the devices normally involves distribution of clean water which may contain a suitable detergent, over the said surface by means of the device and subsequently sucking up the water together with dust, etc., removed from the surface into the sponge member or members of the device.

A known carriage of the kind referred to is provided with a stationary jaw member against which a textile mop may be squeezed for expressing water therefrom by means of a movable jaw. The stationary jaw member consists of a perforated plate arranged horizontally above a water receptacle or bucket. This known carriage has the'serious disadvantage, at least if used with a sponge cleaning device, that water cannot be completely pressed out from the sponge portions overlying the perforations since those portions will be pressed down through the perforations which furthermore involves that eventually the sponge material will be seriously damaged and unfit for use. A further drawback of the known carriage is that the movable jaw is actuated from a pedal via a collapsible linkage which is complicated and unconvenient when the carriage is to be moved around on a floor.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved transport carriage by means of which the operations occurring in connection with the described use of the cleaning device are facilitated and rendered more convenient.

A related object of the invention is to provide an improved carriage for transporting the cleaning device together with one or more water receptacles between various places at which the device is to be used and having means for effectively freeing the sponge member or members of accumulated dirty water between successive cleaning operations.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a carriage having means for effectively squeezing the sponge member or members of the cleaning device between stationary and movable jaw members in such a way that practically all the water contents therein may be pressed out without risk of damaging the sponge member or members.

3,504,392 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 ice A still further object of the invention is to provide a carriage on which holding means for further accessories, sometimes used with cleaning operations in addition to the sponge cleaning device and the water receptacles, may readily be mounted when required.

According to the present invention there is provided a carriage of the kind referred to above, said carriage comprising a frame having means for supporting a water receptacle thereon, supporting wheels connected to a base portion of said frame, upstanding frame members connected to said base portion, at least one stationary jaw member secured to said upstanding frame members and having a plane imperforate upper surface inclined to the horizontal and extending above the location of said water receptacles of said base, a handle pivotally connected to said frame and having at least one jaw member located above said stationary jaw member, whereby the head portion of said cleaning device may be squeezed between said stationary and pivotal jaw members to express water from said sponge member into said water receptacle.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carriage with two water receptacles and two holders for further cleaning accessories shown in broken lines,

FIG. 2 is a fractional elevation on a larger scale showing a part of the carriage frame with the stationary and movable jaw members and parts of a sponge mop held therebetween, and

FIG. 3 is a fractional plan section illustrating the mounting of one of said further accessories on the carriage frame.

The carriage shown on the drawing comprises a frame generally designated by 1. The frame is made from tubular members welded together in a suitable configuration and provided with four supporting wheels 2 of the selfadjusting or castor type. Two substantially horizontally extending tubular frame members 3 provide a supporting surface for two water containers or receptacles 4 and 5 shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. In the lateral direction the-water receptacles are located by means of two tubular frame members 6. As shown the members 3 and 6 may consist of portions of one tube bent in a suitable shape so that the tube also acts as a stop for bold ing the rearward receptacle 5 in the longitudinal direction of the carriage 1.

The carriage further comprises a handle generally designated by 7. The handle is made from a tubular member bent into U-shape and pivotally connected at the free ends of its legs to two upstanding tubular members 9 of the frame by means of pivot pins 8. The tubes 9 are located in a substantially vertical plane and converge slightly in the downward direction. In the position of the handle shown in FIG. 1 the said two free ends 10 of the handle 7 are further supported by two cylindrical pins 11 which are axially displaceable in two further upstanding tubular members 12 of the carriage frame spaced a short distance from the upstanding tubes 9. Each pin'11 is biased against the handle end 10 by means of a compression coil spring 13 located within the upper end of the associated tube 12. The lower end of the spring 13 may abut against a transverse pin 14 secured in the tube 12.

F he two leg ends 10 of the handle 7 are connected by means of a transverse tube 15 and two further transverse tubes 16 which are bent into an L-shape, as shown in FIG. 1, are connected at one end to the tube end 10 behind the tube 15 while the other end of each tube 16 is secured to the tube 15. A stationary jaw member for pressing out water from a cleaning device or sponge mop is secured to the frame below the tubes 15 and 1 6, and as shown in more detail in FIG. 2 this stationary jaw member comprises two transverse channel members 18 extending below the tubes and 16 and secured at their ends to two angular brackets 17 secured, such as by welding, to the tubes 9 and 12. The channel members 18 are imperforate and may be made from sheet material bent into U-shape, and as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 they are secured to the frame 1 by means of the brackets 17 in such a way that their flat upper faces are inclined at an angle to the horizontal.

In FIG. 2 there is illustrated a cleaning device or sponge mop comprising a generally fiat elongated head portion 19 to the lower face of which there are secured two elongated and laterally spaced sponge members 20 made from a suitable porous material. The sponge mop further comprises a shaft portion 21 secured in a suitable boss 22 on the upper face of the head portion 19. If desired the shaft 21 may be pivotally connected with the head portion 9 by means of a torsion coil spring, not shown, mounted in the boss 22 whereby the shaft 21 may be rotated with respect to the head portion 19 while the torsional spring tends to center the shaft with respect to the head portion.

To the front face of the head portion 19 remote from the handle 21 there may further be secured a squeegee member 23 of rubber or like material, and to the lower face of the head portion 19 there may be secured a rigid scraper member 24 extending between the sponges 20 and having its lower edge located above the operative surface of the sponges when they are not compressed. By exerting a suitable downward pressure on the cleaning device, the sponges may be compressed to such an extent that the scraping forward edge of the scraper member 24 engages the surface being cleaned to remove dirt and other further matter which cannot be removed by the sponges alone. A stirrup like stop member 25 for engaging the forward end of the head portion 19 may be secured to the transverse tube 15 as shown in the drawing. As shown the pivot pins 8 may be threaded and provided with finger nuts 26 whereby the handle 7 may be clamped in a selected position with respect to the carriage frame during transport of the carriage.

By means of the carriage according to the invention, the sponge mop 19-22 and the two water receptacles 4 and 5 may be transported to and between various working places whereby the receptacles may be supported by the tubes 3 and 6 of the carriage frame while the sponge mop may be held between the pivotal handle 7 and the stationary jaw member 18, as shown in FIG. 2. It is expedient to transport clean water to which a suitable detergent may be added if desired, in the receptacle 5 into which the sponge mop or cleaning device is introduced at suitable intervals for filling the pores of the sponges 20. Prior to this operation the dirty water which may be present in the sponges from a preceding cleaning operation, should be pressed out into the other receptacle 4. For this purpose the sponge mop is placed on the carriage as shown in FIG. 2 and subsequently the handle 7 is pressed down so that the transverse tubes 15 and 16 engage the upper side of the mop head portion 19 and press the sponges 20 firmly against the inclined imperforate upper surfaces of the channel members 18. As shown in FIG. 2 the width of the members 18 preferably corresponds to the width of the sponges 20 so that the amount of water previously sucked up in the sponges is effectively removed by the squeezing action exerted by the handle. The water flows readily down into the receptacle 4 through the free space between the channel members 18 and along the outward lateral faces of these members.

The carriage shown may be utilized for transporting further accessories used in connection with cleaning operations. In FIG. 1 there is shown in broken lines a holder which is suited for transporting three smaller buckets or pails which may contain brushes, additional cleaning chemicals, dusters and other cloths, etc. This holder comprises a generally horizontal tube 27 to which there are secured, such as by welding, three ring-shaped holders 28 which may be made fromrelatively thin wire. For purposes of rigidity the rings 28 may be connected between them, such as by welding. A further holding means 29 consisting of a wire bent into L- or U-shape may further be secured to the tube 27 for holding other cleaning implements.

FIG. 1 also shows a second holder comprising a horizontal tube 30 detachably held between the downwardly convergent frame tubes 9, and to which there is secured an upstanding tube 31 which at its upper end carries a frame 32 which may serve for holding the upper end of a refuse receiving bag or like receptacle 33 preferably made from plastic material. The holder 3032 and the associated receptacle 33 may in particular be used in hospitals and other places .in which the sanitary require ments imply that during transport of the carriage the upper end of the refuse receptacle shall be closed. For

- this purpose a suitable frame 34 which may be made from relatively thin wire, is pivotally connected with the frame 32 by means of an inclined pivot pin 35 and a cover 36 which simply may consist a of smallplastic bag or the like is secured to the frame 34. The pivot pin 35 is inclined so that the frame 34 with the cover 36 normally swings downwardly by its own weight to a position in which it closes the open upper end of the receptacle 33. For rotating the cover 36 away from the mouth of the receptacle the frame 34 is provided with a handle 37.

Each of the tubes 27 and 30 is detachably connected with the two convergent frame tubes 9 in the way shown in FIG. 3. To each end of the tube there is secured, such as by welding, an end sector 38 of sheet material bent into a suitable form to approximate the outer contour of a tube 9 along part of the circumference thereof. Due to the convergence of the tubes 9, the transverse tubes 27 and 30 with the associated components may easily be mounted on the carriage by slipping the end sectors of the tubes between the convergent frame tubes 9 and pressing the transverse tubes slightly downwards to create a slight resilient pressure between the upstanding tubes and the end sectors of the transverse tubes.

As mentioned above the carriage may be moved around a floor by means of the handle and if desired the cleaning device may be held securely between the movable jaw members 15, 16 on the handle and the stationary jaw members 18. It is also possible to move the carriage without clamping the cleaning device thereon and in that case the handle may be pivoted counter-clockwise from the p0- sition shown in FIG. 1 beyond vertical so that the carriage may be pushed in the opposite direction, i.e. with the water receptacle 5 facing in the direction of the movement. The handle may be clamped in any suitable position by means of the finger nuts 26.

The imperforate and inclined stationary jaw or pressing members 18 are advantageous in that they permit a complete squeezing out of water contained in the pores of the sponge or sponges on the cleaning device without any substantial risk of damaging the material thereof. The spring-loaded pins shown for vbiassing the handle with the movable jaw members upwardly from the stationary jaw membersensure that the head portion of the cleaning device can easily be inserted between the jaw members prior to the pressing out of water from the sponge. While the invention has been described above in connection with a carriage having two separate spaced sets of jaw members it will be appreciated that if the number of sponge members on the cleaning device is different from the two sponges shown, the carriage will correspondingly be provided with a different number of jaw or pressing members.

What I claim is:

1. A carriage for transporting a cleaning device including a handle portion and a head portion connected with said handle portion and having at least one sponge member secured to a lower face thereof; said carriage comprising a frame including a pair of upstanding frame members and a pair of second upstanding frame members spaced from said first upstanding frame members and having hollow upper ends, means for suppOrting a water receptacle on said frame, supporting wheels connected to a base portion of said frame, at least one stationary jaw member supported by said upstanding frame members and having a plane upper surface extending above the location of said water receptacle on said base, a generally U-shaped handle having opposite limbs pivotally connected to said first upstanding frame members respectively and overlying said upper ends of said second upstanding frame members, at least one jaw member on said pivotal handle located above said stationary jaw members, and means for resiliently urging said handle upwardly from said base portion, said last mentioned means including an axially movable thrust means guided in said hollow ends of said second upstanding frame members and compression springs received within said hollow ends respectively below and in engagement with said thrust means.

2. A carriage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stationary jaw member is secured at its ends to said first and second upstanding frame members.

3. A carriage as claimed in claim 1 in which said pivotal jaw member comprises a first rod extending between the legs of said handle and two L-shaped rods each secured at one end to one of said legs and at its other end to said first rod, said other ends being spaced from each other to accommodate the handle portion of aid cleaning device.

4. A carriage as claimed in claim 1 in Which a stop member is secured to said pivotal jaw member so as to engage with the head portion of said cleaning device when supported by the stationary jaw member.

5. A carriage for transporting a cleaning device comprising a handle portion and a head portion connected with said handle portion and having at least one sponge member secured to a lower face thereof, said carriage comprising a frame having means for supporting a water receptacle thereon, supporting wheels connected to a base portion of said frame, upstanding frame members connected to said base portion, at least one stationary jaw member secured to said upstanding frame members and having a plane imperforate upper surface inclined to the horizontal and extending above the location of said Water receptacle on said base, a handle pivotally connected to said frame and having at least one jaw member located above said stationary jaw member whereby the head portion of said cleaning device may be squeezed between said stationary and pivotal jaw members to ex press water from said sponge member into said water receptacle, and a holder for cleaning accessories detachably clamped between said upstanding frame members.

6. A carriage as claimed in claim 5 in which said upstanding frame members converge downwardly and said holder comprises an elongated supporting rod and end sectors secured to the ends of said rod and shaped complementary to said frame members.

7. A carriage as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for clamping said handle to said frame in an arbitrary position relative thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 63,294 3/1867 Porter 15-261 336,956 3/1886 Smith. 1,257,224 2/1918 Hanrath 15261 1,268,055 5/1918 Repsholdt 15261 1,922,981 8/1933 Robertson 15262 2,518,765 8/1950 Ecker 15260 XR 3,409,932 11/1968 George 15-260 FOREIGN PATENTS 597,084 5/ 1934 Germany. 1,081,886 9/1967 Great Britain.

DAVID BLUM, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 15-118, 257 

